THE SCOTSMAN REPORTS
DAVID FERGUSON
GLASGOW players enter more than just a foreign field when they face Narbonne tonight in the European Challenge Cup aiming to build on last week's 51-7 thrashing of the Frenchmen.

The team has won in France before, beating Montpellier 30-11 in the old European Shield, but for the first time victory on French soil would give them a real chance of qualifying for the last eight in Europe, and even a launchpad to go on and win the tournament. That is not the view of optimistic Glasgow fans heading to the south of France, but Narbonne's team manager, Anthony Hill.

The former Randwick back-row has been with the French Top-14 club since 1996, as a player, player-coach and now, at 33, team manager. Intriguingly, he also knows a bit about Glasgow, having had a trial at Hughenden two years ago when Hugh Campbell was coach and Sean Lineen his assistant.

He explained: "I came close to signing for Glasgow. My contract with Narbonne was coming to an end and Hugh invited me over to train with the side. I did one session with the squad, but I got the impression they were looking for a different type of [loose forward] and the financial situation there wasn't great, so I stayed at Narbonne.

"But Glasgow are a good team and can see from their results that the Challenge Cup suits them. They are a very dangerous team at this level and I think they could go all the way. Having said that, I'd be very surprised if we suffered another heavy defeat to them.

"We haven't been playing at our best recently, but we weren't expecting a result like that last week. The coaches had the players in for a de-brief on Monday and read the riot act to them. That result was unacceptable and it's important that we win this game to get our confidence back up for the trip to Paris to face Stade Francais next week in the league. That's a critical game for us - we are just two points off a Heineken Cup place for next season, but also two points off relegation."

Narbonne: N Nadau; T Bouquié, L Mazars, V Noutary, F Lartigue; CRosalen, L Balue; A Martinez, F Rofes, L Ducalcon, L Michaux, HEksteen, J Bisaro (capt), D Haare, B Beaux. Subs: V Langlade, JHooper, G Pariel, G Blache, J Seron, M Van Rensburg, S Regy.

Glasgow: R Lamont; H O'Hare, A Henderson, S Barrow, T Evans; DParks, G Beveridge; J Va'a, S Lawson, M Low, A Newman, A Kellock (capt), A Wilson, J Petrie, J Barclay. Subs: F Thomson, K Tkachuk, DTurner, J Eddie, S Swindall, C Gregor, S Marsden.

Referee: P Fitzgibbon (Ireland).

This article was posted on 16-Dec-2006, 09:18 by Hugh Barrow.